Ditching-machine.



H. G. FRANCIS. DITUHING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION rum) HAY 18,1910.

Patented May 23, 1911.

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Inventor V I Attorneys H. G. FRANCIS] DITOHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10,1910.

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-Witne sses Inventor I I by l I Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE G. FRANCIS, OF DEXTER, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNEAS- SIGNMENTS, OF ONE-HALF TO EMMETT S. WILLS AND ONE-FOURTH T0 JAMES K.

ROBINSON, 0F DEXTER, MISSOURI.

DI'I'CHING-MACHIN E.

Patented May 23, 1911.

Application filed May 16, 1910. Serial No. 561,632.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE G. FRANoIs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dexter, in the county of Stoddard and State of Missouri,have invented a new and useful Ditching-Machine, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to a ditching machine and consists in the novelconstruction and arrangement of its parts as hereinafter shown anddescribed.

The object of the invention, is to provide a machine of the characterindicated equipped with means adapted to cut a ditch of approximatelysemi-circular or semi-cylindrical configuration and means adapted to bemanually operated whereby the machine may be automatically advancedtoward its work.

With the above object in view the machine includes a wheel mounted frameupon which is located an engine. A shaft depends from the ,frame and isprovided at one end with a cutter and means is provided whichoperatively connects said shaft with said engine. A Windlass is mountedupon the frame and means is provided for operatively connecting theWindlass with the engine at the will of an operative. A cable is adaptedto Wind at one end upon the Windlass and may at its other end beconnected witha post or other fixed object so that the machine isadvanced toward its work as the cable is wound upon the Windlass.

In the accompanying drawings ;Figure 1 is a side elevation of theditching machine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is afront elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a plan view enlarged of thecutter of the machine.

The machine consists of a frame 1 which is supported upon ground wheels2 in any appropriate manner. An engine (preferably of the hydrocarbontype) is mounted upon the frame 1. The engine is designated 3 andhangers 4 depend from the frame 1. A shaft 5 is journaled for rotationin the hangers 4 and is provided at its forward end and in advance ofthe front end of the frame 1 with a cutter 6. The cutter 6 consists ofapproximately radially disposed blades 7 having forwardly curved cuttingedges 8 and buckets or vanes 9 are located behind said blades 7. Theouter ends of the buckets 9 terminate short of the outer ends of theblades 7. In fact it consists of providing blades located atdiametrically opposite sides of the shaft 5 or a single blade 7 asillustrated in Fig. 3 may be used and the said blade may be provided atits opposite ends with cutting edges 8, as indicated. That is to say,the blades at the opposite sides of the shaft 5 may be integral orformed from a single plece.

A belt pulley 10 is fixed to the intermediate portion of the shaft 5 anda belt pulley 11 is fixed to the shaft of the engine 3. A belt 12 passesaround the pulleys 10 and 11 and is adapted to transmit rotary movementfrom the engine shaft to the shaft 5 and its attachment.

A Windlass 13 is mounted upon the forward portion of the frame 1 and acable 14 is arranged to wind upon the said Windlass.

The forward end of the said cable may be attached to a post 15 or otherfixed object. A belt pulley 16 is fixed to the shaft of the Windlass 13and a belt pulley 17 is fixed to a shaft 18 which is journaled upon theframe 1 behind the engine 3. A belt 19 passes around the pulleys 16 and17 and is adapted to transmit rotary movement from the shaft 18 to theWindlass 13. A shaft 20 is also j ournaled upon the rear portion of theframe 1 and a beveled pinion 21 is journaled upon the forward end of thesaid shaft 20. The pinion 21 meshes with a beveled pinion 22 which isfixed to the shaft 18. The beveled pinion 21 is provided with a clutchhub 23.

A clutch member 24 is slidably mounted upon the shaft 20 but isconstrained to rotate in unison with the same. A lever 25 is operativelyconnected with the clutch member 241 and may when it is swung bring themember 24: into engagement with the clutch hub 23 of the wheel 21 orswing the said clutch member away from the same. A relatively large beltpulley 26 is fixed to the rear end of the shaft 20 and a relativelysmall belt pulley 27 is fixed to the rear end of the shaft 5. A belt 28passes around the pulleys 26 and 27 and is adapted to transmit rotarymovement from the shaft 5 to the shaft 20.

From the above description it will be seen that when the machine is inoperation and the cutter 6 is maintained in a state of rotation thecutting edges of the blade or blades 7 will encounter the earth belowthe surface and loosen the same and the loose earth will be caught up inthe buckets 9 and be passed up out of the ditch which is being formed.At the same time an operative may swing the lever 25 whereby the clutchmember 24 will be carried into engagement with the clutch hub 23 of thebeveled pinion 21 and thus the shaft 18 will be rotated in unison withthe shaft 20, and as above described rotary movement will be transmittedto the Windlass 13 and as the cable 14 is wound thereon the ditchingmachine will be drawn toward the post 15 or in other words the cutter 6will be advanced toward its Work.

By reason of the fact that the belt wheel 10 is relatively large and thebelt pulley 11 is relatively small, the shaft 5 will be rotated at acertain rate of speed, that is to say it may be rotated at anypredetermined rate and by reason of the fact that the belt pulley 27located upon the shaft 5 is relatively small and the belt pulley 26located upon the shaft 20 is relatively large, the shaft 20 will berotated at a much lower rate of speed than the shaft 5. Also by reasonof the relative sizes of the belt pulleys upon the shaft of the windlassl3 and the shaft 18, the rotary movement from the shaft 18 through thepulley 13 is again reduced and thus the machine is not advanced againstits work at a greater rate of speed than it is possible for the cutter 6to attend to. Therefore there is no chance for the cutter 6 to becomechoked or to be subjected to an over-amount of work even should theconditions of the soil in which it is operating vary.

What is claimed is A ditching machine comprising a frame mounted at itsend portion upon supporting wheels, an engine mounted upon the frame ata point approximately midway between the ends thereof, hangers dependingfrom said frame, a shaft journaled in said hangers and at its endportions projecting beyond the ends of the frame, a cutter mounted uponthe forward projecting end of the shaft, means operatively connectingthe engine with the shaft at an intermediate point thereof, a windingmechanism mounted upon the forward portion of the frame, and a reducinggear operatively connecting the winding mechanism with the rearprojecting end portion of said shaft.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HORACE Gr. FRANCIS.

Witnesses:

E. W. GRoJEAN, NORMAN D. BLUE.

Copies of .this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

